Container for rapid charged storage batteries

ABSTRACT

The invention is a container for storage batteries including a box (3, 20) provided with one or more cells, each of which is suitable to receive metallic plates (10) dipped in the electrolyte and connected to each other so as to make up a positive pole and a negative pole, a cover (2, 30) closed on the box along the perimetrical edge of said box, characterized in that each cell (3, 11, 12, 13) of said container has at least an electrolyte feed pipe (7, 14, 16, 18) with one end communicating with the opening made on the cover and with the other placed near the bottom of the box, and at least a level pipe (5, 15, 17, 19) of said electrolyte with one end communicating with the opening made on the cover and with the other end coinciding with the electrolyte level inside every cell.

The invention concerns a container for storage batteries speciallysuitable for short charge time batteries. The application for a SwedishPatent No. 7701184-9 on behalf of the YUASA BATTERY Co Ltd. shows aspecial device for producing electrolyte storage batteries as far as therapid charge of said batteries is concerned. This device ischaracterized in that it includes a plug liable to be connected to themouth of a cover in order to charge the electrolyte, where the plugcomprises an input pipe and an output pipe through which theelectrolyte, which prepares the charge for each cell of the battery,respectively flows in and out. The input pipe is longer than the outputpipe and the output pipe is so high as to work as liquid level in thecell. The input and output pipes are generally coaxial, one inside theother. This special plug is safely screwed on or fastened to the mouthof each cell where the electrolyte is introduced, and the circulation ofthe electrolyte occurs in two times, one with low density electrolyteand the other with high density electrolyte.

During the circulation of the electrolyte, said electrolyte cools downoutside the battery, so that the heat removal during the batterycharging process shortens the time necessary for charging the battery.The circulation and the cooling of the electrolyte meaningfully reducethe time for charging the battery. According to a preceding and lesscomplex technique, the charge of the battery takes place by introducingthe electrolyte statically and without circulation. In this case thecharge of the battery occurs in a few days instead of a few hours, aswith the method just recalled.

The charging process with forced circulation of the electrolyte is,however, not free from drawbacks.

One of the main drawbacks of the charge device just recalled lies in thefact that the input and output pipes of the electrolyte, belonging tothe plug, can get closed because of the dirt deposit connected to thecirculation of the electrolyte. Therefore, the drawback is that, makinguse of the same devices over and over again, the circulation of theelectrolyte slows down or stops. Besides, the frequent replacement ofthe plugs involves waste of time and expenses to bear.

The aim of the invention is to get over the drawbacks above highlighted.

The main goal of the invention is to carry out a container shaped insuch a way as to fit for the quick circulation of the first-chargeelectrolyte, so that said circulation can take place as quickly andprofitably as possible.

Moreover, the invention is meant to avoid clogs due to repeatedutilization of the same devices for charges in different cells.

Another aim to achieve is that the container fitted for the circulationof the electrolyte accomplishes said circulation with the greatesteffectiveness.

A final aim is that the container of the invention is cheap and, on thewhole, profitable compared to the methods used up to now.

All the above-mentioned goals have been achieved by the container of theinvention which comprises:

a box with one or more cells, each of which is suitable to receivemetallic plates dipped in electrolyte and connected to each other so asto make up a positive pole and a negative pole;

a cover on the box closed along the perimetrical edge of said box,

where said container is characterized in that each cell of saidcontainer has at least an electrolyte feed pipe, which is substantiallyvertical and has one end communicating with an opening made on the coverand the other placed near the bottom of the box, and at least a levelpipe of said electrolyte, with one end communicating with an openingmade on the cover and the other coinciding with the electrolyte levelinside each cell.

To advantage, according to a favourite application of the invention, theelectrolyte feed pipe and the level pipe are diametrically opposite toeach other, so as to accomplish a turbulent circulation of saidelectrolyte inside the cell and in this way, therefore, the electrolyteeffectively covers all the plates which have to soak in saidelectrolyte.

Furthermore, the possibility of making up more feed and outlet channelsof the electrolyte allows to increase the flow rate of said electrolyteand consequently to reduce the charging time.

One of the advantages in reducing the charging time lies in the factthat batteries without charge, which are therefore completely inert, canbe produced and stored, and consequently the battery cannot deterioratebecause of long storage.

Besides, it can be expected that the battery production cycle undergoesa change lying in the fact that the first charge of the battery, sinceit is short, can also be directly assigned to the distributors of saidbatteries, who provide for the charge on customers request shortlybefore delivery.

Moreover if said at least one electrolyte feed pipe is obtained duringthe moulding phase of the box, it forms a single body with the same box.Therefore the electrolyte feed pipe doesn't reduce the inner spaceutilized by the standard plates inserted into the container.

Further distinctive features and peculiarities of the invention will bebetter highlighted in the description of a favourite application of theinvention illustrated in the attached table as possible directions,without, however, setting limits:

FIG. 1 shows a container of the invention for single-celled batterieswith separate box and cover;

FIG. 2 shows the container of FIG. 1 with joined box and cover;

FIG. 3 shows a cover of the container of the invention for more-celledbatteries;

FIG. 4 shows a box compatible with the cover of FIG. 3;

FIGS. 5 and 6 respectively show a variant of a cover and of a box thatcan be connected to each other according to the invention.

With reference to the above-mentioned figures, it can be noticed thatthe battery, referred to as a whole by 1, is a single-celled battery andhas a cover 2 and a box 3. On the cover 2, as can be observed in FIG. 2,as well as holes 4 and 8 suitable to receive the positive and negativepoles, there is also a pipe 5 that is the level pipe noticeable in FIG.1 too. In the executive variant of the example, this pipe 5 is directlyobtained upon molding of cover 2.

Diametrically opposite to pipe 5 there is another pipe 6, also made onthe cover by molding, which, as it will be explained, will later befitted into pipe 7 belonging to box 3. Said pipe 7 is the electrolytefeed pipe and, in the case of the example, is directly molded along withbox 3 and extends for the whole height of the box to stop shortly beforethe bottom. When cover 2 is sealed on box 1, after fitting the batteryelements 10 into it, the small pipe 6 is inserted inside the feed pipe7, so as to make up a single feed channel. When the electrolyte isintroduced in battery 1 for the first charge through pipes 6 and 7,which are now joined, it directly reaches the bottom of box 3 and coversthe elements 10 until it fills the battery cell up to the levelpredetermined by the height of pipe 5; when the electrolyte reaches saidlevel, it flows out of said pipe, leaving unchanged the inner level. Asa consequence a circulation occurs between the feed pipe 6 and theoutlet and level pipe 5.

The reciprocal position between the feed pipe 6 and 7 and the outletpipe 5 avoids creating areas on the metallic elements which are notlapped by the electrolyte. Besides the possibility of carrying out feedand outlet pipes of a meaningful section or a multiplicity of saidpipes, either feed or outlet pipes, also allows to ensure a ratherimportant electrolyte rate flow, so as to create optimum conditions forreducing the charging time. As a matter of fact the circulation speed ofthe electrolyte quickens the battery charging process, as, on the otherhand, the charging process is quickened by the fact that theelectrolytic bath affects all the plates rather intensely.

In the case of FIGS. 3 and 4, we can observe respectively the cover andthe box of a car starter battery which consists of more cells, herereferred to by numbers 11, 12 and 13. It can be noticed that in thiscase each cell is respectively provided with an electrolyte feed pipeand a level pipe. More precisely cell 11 is provided with feed pipe 14and level pipe 15; cell 12 is provided with feed pipe 16 and level pipe17; cell 13 is provided with feed pipe 18 and level pipe 19. All thefeed pipes 14, 16 and 18 belong to box 20, while the level pipes 15, 17and 19 belong to cover 30, which is then sealed on box 20. In this casetoo, in correspondence with each feed pipe on the cover there will be asmall pipe 141, 161 and 181 which will allow the junction of the lowerfeed pipe belonging to the box up to the outlet on the cover surface.

It is clear that in such a container as that represented by theinvention it is possible to make the electrolyte flow with simplecirculation means, such as pipes through which the electrolyte is movedby a certain head provided, for example, through a pump.

Another executive variant of the invention is shown in FIGS. 5 and 6,where it can be noticed that cover 50, besides the holes of poles 51 and52, has two small pipes 53 and 54 molded along With the cover and saidtwo small pipes have the same diameter and the same thickness as thefeed pipe 61 and level pipe 62 obtained upon the molding of box 60.

In this way, when the cover 50 is sealed on box 60 along theperimetrical edge, also the small pipe 53 is sealed on the feed pipe 61and likewise the small pipe 54 is sealed on the level pipe 62.

The examples of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 show that the electrolyte feed pipe hasbeen molded on the box.

This permits that the feed pipe inside the container doesn't reduce theinner space utilized by the standard plates inserted into the samecontainer.

There is no difference if the electrolyte is molded separately and isthen introduced into the box and fixed on a corresponding hole on thecover.

Another solution could be to directly mold the feed pipe along with thecover and then to introduce said pipe into the electrolyte.

Every variants and practical applications that have just been mentionedor that can be devised are considered as parts of the invention, as itis defined by the following claims.

I claim:
 1. A container for facilitating rapid charge of electrolyte ina storage battery comprising:a box having an open top formed with aperimetrical edge and with one or more cells, each cell of which issuitable to receive the electrolyte; a cover secured to the top forclosing the box along the perimetrical edge; the cover formed with afirst and a second opening for each cell; each cell of said containerhaving at least one electrolyte feed pipe having an upper endcommunicating with the first opening in the cover, a lower end extendinginto the container adjacent to the bottom of the box, and a level pipefor establishing an electrolyte level in each cell having an upper endcommunicating with the second opening in the cover and a lower endextending into the container below the perimetrical edge of the top forestablishing an electrolyte level in the container above the lower endof the feed pipe and said level pipe including a pipe portion formed inthe cover molding.
 2. A container according to claim 1 wherein theelectrolyte feed pipe and the level pipe are placed on substantiallyopposite sides of each cell on a diagonal thereof.
 3. A storage batterycontainer adapted to be rapidly charged with an electrolyte and forreceiving storage battery components therein for immersion in theelectrolyte comprising:a box having a bottom wall, side walls and anopen top with a peripheral edge, said box being formed with at least onecell for receiving battery components and electrolyte therein; a coverfor engaging the open top of the box closing the same about theperipheral edge, said top having at least first and second openingstherein; said at least one cell including at least one electrolyte feedpipe having an upper end communicating with the first opening in thecover and having a lower end portion extending into the cell andadjacent the bottom of the box, and at least one level pipe forestablishing a level for electrolyte in the cell, said level pipe havingan upper end communicating with the second opening in the tope and lowerend extending into the cell at a level above the lower end of the feedpipe for defining the electrolyte level at said lower end of said levelpipe, said feed pipe being formed with a first section molded in thecover and a second interconnecting section molded in the box and saidlevel pipe comprises a section molded into the cover, said level pipeand said feed pipe being spaced apart in said cover along a diagonalthereof for maximizing the distance therebetween.